Natural Selection 1.1

Introduction

This WebQuest adventure

On this WebQuest adventure we will be expanding our knowledge and diving into natural selection and evolution. The purpose of this WebQuest is to learn more about natural selection. Our focus question is "What big factors have caused the evolution and diversity of organisms?"

Objectives:

1. Describe the important observations that Darwin made on his voyage and what struck him about his observations.

2. Explain how natural selection leads to evolution.

3. State evidence that supports the theory of evolution.

4. Identify factors that have contributed to the diversity of species.

Task

1. Watch the video about Darwin and Wallace (see link under Process)

2. Complete Questions about video

3. Interactive Lab - Ecology/Food Webs

4. Project - Google Slide presentation

Process

Activity 1: Watch video about Darwin and Wallace's journey - make notes

https://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/origin-species-making-theory

Activity 2: Questions to answer - create a google doc and submit

Use the following links to help guide your research and answer the following questions:

Note: Additional websites can be used to further research if necessary. Please make sure these are reliable sources of information and don't forget to include them in your notes if you use outside links.

a. https://www.darwins-theory-of-evolution.com/

b. https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html

c. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/her/evolution-and-natural-selection/a/darwin-evolution-natural-selection

1. Why would organisms change?

2. What are the causes of genetic diversity?

3. If the environment changes, how might that affect the importance of variations in a species?

Activity 3: Ecology Lab -

1. Use the link below to access the interactive lab

http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/ecology/index.php

2. Read the information under Producers and Food Webs (Click the link for challenge, step 1 and 2, and for your consideration). You do not have to write out a response to the questions in Step 1 and 2, but be thinking about a response that you might provide.

3. Download the Data table provided in "Overview" and Open the Simulator

4. Complete the table after using the Simulator

5. Be ready to share in class!

Activity 4: Project

Produce a Google slide presentation of an imaginary creature which has evolved from the past, or will evolve into the future. Complete with scientific and common names, a description of its habitat, and the adaptations for the creature. Include and provide information of its evolutionary path and how it fits into the laws of natural selection.